WELCOME TO WEEK 1

We all learn new things every day. Sometimes we really enjoy what we are learning and want to continue learning more. When we read our bibles, sometimes it can be hard to understand everything we are reading, but the Holy Spirit can help us understand what we are reading and help us want to continue learning more. This week we will read about a man who was eager to learn more about God and was sent help from God.

Acts 8:26-40

BIBLE STORY

If you were going on a trip, what are some things you would take with you? Go for a hunt around your house to find 10 things you would take on a trip. When you are going on a trip you look for the things you need during the trip. You might even have someone help you gather the things you need for the trip. We can also search the scriptures, or the Bible, to find the things that we need. We may sometimes think the things in the Bible are hard for us to read and understand, but God sent his Holy Spirit to help us understand the things we read from scripture. 

In our story today we see a man who is searching for something, the truth! He is reading the scriptures but he doesn’t understand them and wants to know the truth about what they say. God sent Philip to help him understand the things that he was reading and see that it was talking about Jesus. Even if the scriptures are hard for use to understand, God will send His Holy Spirit to help us understand what he has written there for us. 

Materials: items from around your house

Read or listen to the Bible verse for this week: Acts 8:26-40

Where was Philip traveling? (From Jerusalem to Gaza)

Who did he meet along the way? (An Ethiopian eunuch, an important official)

What was the Ethiopian eunuch reading? (A passage out of the book of Isaiah)

Why did the Eunuch ask Philip for help with the reading? (He did not understand what the passage was saying.)

Who was the passage talking about? (Jesus the lamb)

What did Phillip share with the eunuch? (The gospel of Jesus Christ)

What else did the eunuch ask Philip to do? (Stop the chariot and Baptize him in the water they were passing by)

After the baptism where did Philip go? (The Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip and he appeared in Azotus and preached there)

What happened to the eunuch after he was baptized? (He went on his way rejoicing) 

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

We know a lot about the people in our family or our close friends, but do we know everything about them? Take this questionnaire with a partner and see how much you know about each other. Answer the questions for yourself and then answer the question for your partner, then compare answers with each other. How much did you know about the other person. We can get to know more about God by studying his word and by help from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can help us know God better and help us want to know him.

Materials: printed survey, pen/pencil

Alternate

Think about the people in the room with you. How well do you know them? Find one object around your house that would best describe the other person or people in the room. Perhaps it may be their favorite stuffed animal they love to sleep with, a mixing spoon to show they like to bake or a golfball to show their favorite hobby. Send everyone off on their hunt for one or more people in the room, then gather together again and describe why they chose each object to describe that person. We know the people in our family or our close friends really well. We know the things they like and probably the things they do not like. We can also get to know God by studying his word and asking the Holy Spirit for help and guidance. God sent the Holy Spirit as a helper, to help us know God and live our lives for Him. Alternately: draw a picture of something that describes another person.

Materials: objects around your home

Independent activity:

Complete the following activity sheet

Materials: printed activity sheet, pen/pencil, crayons

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Make a bible scroll with the verse Philip shared with the Ethiopian. On a small white sheet of construction paper turned horizontally, write the scripture from Isaiah 53:7&8. Gently tear a strip of paper in small zigzag tears along the top and bottom of the page to make it look worn. Use large straight straws and glue them to the ends of the paper. Then roll up the verse from both directions around the straws into a scroll.

Materials: white construction paper, large straws, scissors, glue

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

How can you share the good news of Jesus with others?

How can we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading us to help others?

Have you ever helped someone answer questions from the Bible?

How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit?

What are some things the Holy Spirit can help you with?

What has the Holy Spirit helped you learn about God this week?

How can we invite the Holy Spirit to help us in our walk with God?

Practical Application at Home

The Ethiopian Eunuch had questions about the scripture he was reading and the Holy Spirit sent Philip to help him. The eunuch wanted to know more about what the Bible was saying, not just to read the passage but to really understand it. Philip was able to help him understand what he was reading and He was moved to be baptized. God does not leave us to figure out all the answers alone but sends His Holy Spirit to help us. 

Complete the following sentence starters.

The bible helps me….

The Holy Spirit helps me…

When I am in trouble I can call on…

When I want to know more about Jesus I can…

When I have questions about God I can ask….

Jesus helps me…

I share my faith with….

I show others I love Jesus by….

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.